Why Chickens Make Great Pets

Chickens. Yes, those creatures with the reptile feet, funny earlobes, and fluffy ears. Throughout time and across the world, humans have kept chickens as pets in their yards and even houses — sometimes with diapers. That’s right, diapers. People have found many ways to incorporate these marvelous creatures into their lives. 

They are beneficial because of the eggs they produce. With inflation and the bird flu raising egg prices in stores, you can save money if you have chickens. Furthermore, chickens have proven themselves to be wonderful pets, be great companions with inquisitive natures, and have the ability to bring much happiness to anyone, especially someone having a rough day. 

An amazing part of having a pet, especially chickens, is discovering their own unique personalities. Throughout my life, I’ve had three chickens: two Buff Orpingtons and one Black Australorp. Buff Orpingtons are kind and gentle creatures that mostly love to be held. Mine, named Georgina and Lollie, looked alike at first glance; however, they had their own  personalities that were hard to mistake. 

The more one studied them, the easier it was to tell them apart; Georgina was a bit fluffier, her crown drooped and her feathers lighter colored. Lollie was taller and would always follow me around the yard, curious about what I was doing. 

The Black Australorp, named Apú, stood out because of her different color and her attitude; some days she would want to be held, and some days she would make it clear when she did not want to be held. The more I got to know my chickens, the more I fell in love with them, because they each had unique characteristics.  

Tove Danovich, a resident of Portland and a freelance journalist, is a “chickenologist.” Danovich has published many articles, written her own book titled “Under The Henfluence,” and even has eight chickens of her own. Throughout her work, she shares her love for chickens and the importance of having chickens as pets.

In the podcast by Alie Ward, “Ologies,” Danovich notes that each chicken has a different personality. She recalls her own chicken, Finny, who “has this giant mop of feathers on her head, and she is just always surprised by things, and I think [it’s] partially because her vision isn’t great because of the hat of feathers.” Danovich goes on to say, “If you sneak up behind her, she just jumps. She has a special kind of scream that’s different from all the other chickens.” 

Every chicken has their own way of expressing themselves, and they even make their own unique noises. Just like humans, chickens are distinct in their looks, personalities, and expressions, something we can all be empathetic to. “They’re all chickens, they’re all ‘chickeny,’ but they’re definitely their own birds,” Danovich agrees in the podcast.

Flock City PDX, owned by Leslie Pierce, is a small business that has seasonal chick sales, chicken keeping education, and chicken consulting. Pierce started this business because, “as a long-time Southeast Portland chicken-keeper who knows the value in keeping chickens in an urban space, I want to make sure the path to urban chicken keeping is a supported one.” She hopes to share with the Portland community the importance of having chickens and ensure that proper chicken keeping is recognized and used. 

“Chickens are pets that give back,” Pierce explains. Chickens bring many benefits to households, some of which might be unexpected. She continues, “They also do lots of pooping which makes great compost to grow more veggies in our gardens.” Their manure has been used all around the world as fertilizer, as it contains all 13 essential plant nutrients including nitrogen and potassium. This manure is highly priced and seen by farmers as a vital part of agriculture. 

Another main reason people take an interest in chickens is the eggs they produce. Pierce adds that this “elevates our food security.” Instead of investing in expensive eggs, people can receive eggs from their own backyards. Harvesting food from your own household urban farm is appealing since it can limit the amount of food one might need to buy at the grocery store. In December of 2024, a dozen eggs were $4.14, a big difference when compared to $1.48 in December of 2020, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. 

During the past few years of egg prices going up, my family and I felt very fortunate to have our chickens. I was able to receive eggs from the source and not have to go through the whole process of choosing which egg brand was truly “free range.” I knew exactly where my eggs were coming from and how well the chickens were cared for. 

Most of them would lay eggs daily, but sometimes one of them would not. This was something I grew to appreciate because I started to treat eggs as something special and not something to take for granted. I learned to have patience on days when eggs were not always available, instead figuring out what else I could have for breakfast. I was able to comprehend that chickens were not simply food-making machines, they were animals who would just have a bad egg-laying day. 

For some people, having chickens as pets is not as easy as it seems. Chicken coops can be between $200 to $2000, depending on how much you want to invest. Finding the right coop, the right place to put it, and the right price can be a challenge. Along with that, the chicken food can attract rodents, and the chickens themselves can attract predators. This can be very disturbing, especially when going out in your own backyard and finding an infestation of rats. It’s important to keep chickens, their coop, and their food protected from wild birds – this ensures safety from bird flu and other diseases.

It can also be hard to think of chickens as anything else than food, as according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, over 9 billion chickens are killed per year in the U.S. for food consumption. With the idea of chickens as food so deeply ingrained into our culture, it can make it hard to think of chickens as cuddly pets.

When I explain to my friends about a funny experience I had with my chickens or how cute they were in the morning, it is inevitable that at least one of them makes a joke about eating chickens. No matter the pictures I show them, the stories I tell them, or how many times I have them meet my chickens, it is still hard for them to believe I could have chickens without wanting to eat them.

Nonetheless, if chicken owners are dedicated, for example, storing chicken food away each night, rodents can be prevented, and if you can devote time to look around, you will find the best coop at a reasonable price that works for you. 

Something many do not realize is that these creatures with the reptile feet, funny earlobes, and fluffy ears are not only beneficial because of their fertilizer and food security; they are one-of-a-kind companions. Therefore, if people commit and put love into chicken keeping, they will realize the beauty of having chickens, both emotionally and economically.